A Hero's Pride Read Online Free PDF Page A

stretched her with a delicious friction that hurtled her to
the pleasure’s edge all over again.
    Each thrust brought her closer to the peak. Over and over he
slammed into her.
    “Oh, Dios!”
    “Tell me, princess, do you like that?”
    “Si! me encanta.” It took her a moment to realize she was
urging him on in Spanish. She’d lost all train of thought. His movements
increased in pace and demand. With each hard thrust his cock lit scorching
embers inside her, pushing her to climax.
    “ Dios mio! ” She whimpered and dug her nails into his
slick shoulders. Her orgasm tore through her with the velocity of a freight
train. He groaned into her neck and shuddered as he found his own release.
     
     
    Ryan returned from the bathroom to find Kayla standing by
the open balcony door. She wore a royal blue silk robe. She’d made him feel
so…normal. When he’d removed his pants, he’d felt incredibly vulnerable,
expecting…what? Some kind of derisive or pitying comment from her. Instead
she’d looked at him and told him she wanted him. He wanted—no, he needed to
know more about what made such a beautiful, intelligent, and warm woman want a
blind date. How was it possible she wasn’t beating men off with a stick? Why
did she agree to do it?
    Slipping into his boxers, he joined her out on the balcony.
For a moment he just stood behind her, his hands automatically wrapped around
her waist. When she leaned into his touch, warmth he’d never experienced spread
through him.
    “Why are you here tonight, Kayla?”
    She sighed, held his hands at her waist, and continued to
stare out at the ocean. It was a long moment later when she finally answered. Cool,
salty ocean breeze surrounded them. He felt a sudden urge to stay in the hotel
with her for a few more days, get better acquainted, and see what developed.
    “I needed a clean slate.” Her soft voice burrowed into him.
    “What do you mean?”
    She shifted in his arms, turned her back toward the balcony,
and faced him. “I have horrible luck in love,” she admitted with a sad smile.
“I’m thirty years old as of…” She glimpsed into the suite at the antique wall
clock by the bed. “…exactly twenty-four hrs ago. I was in a dead-end marriage
that lasted all of two months. That’s how long it took my husband to realize I
wouldn’t be changing to fit his needs. After that it’s been one bad
relationship after another. And I won’t even go into the endless bad dates. So
I decided to start my new age with a clean slate. Tonight I was going to have the
first of what’s supposed to be many good things. The best first date I’ve had
in…well, ever.” She peered up at him, her eyes locked on his mouth. “I wanted a
good experience to start my life fresh. No more frogs.”
    His gut churned at the sadness that took over her face.
“What time do you have to go?” Don’t go was what he really wanted to
say.
    “I have a helicopter ride in a few hours to my parents’ home.
Technically, I’m on vacation.”
    Intense need made him pull her into his arms and hold her. Did
she really have to go? He thought of asking her to stay, but didn’t want to
ruin the mood. He really wanted to see where they could go with this. They both
lived in the same city, and it wouldn’t be hard to find the time to see her
again. Hell, right now he was home all day or at physical therapy. There was
definitely time. He’d give her a little while before he brought up seeing each
other again. He didn’t want to sound too desperate.  
    Severe pain radiated from where his muscle met the
prosthetic and up his leg. Furious over the intense ache that tried to rob him
of his time with her, he clenched his jaw and tried to ignore the discomfort. He
hated how much he depended on the stupid contraption below his knee.
    “Are you okay?” She frowned, stepped back, and caressed his
arm.
    He’d swear the small touch helped the pain diminish.
    “Yeah,” he lied and tried to put his weight on